This invention relates to a new process for the generation of N(CF3)2 anions and their use for the introduction of N(CF3)2-groups into organic molecules.
The chemistry of bis(trifluoromethyl)imido-anion is generally based on the chemical transformation of perfluoro(2-azapropene), CF3Nxe2x95x90CF2, as a starting material (H. G. Ang and Y. C. Syn, Advances in Inorganic Chemistry and Radiochemistry, Vol. 16 (1974), p. 1-64; A. Haas, Gmelin Handbook of Inorganic Chemistry, 8th edition, Springer Verlag: Berlin Heidelberg New York (1981), Part 9, p. 125-153; A. Haas, Gmelin Handbook of Inorganic Chemistry, 8th edition, Springer-Verlag: Berlin - Heidelberg New York (1991), Suppl. Vol. 6, p. 196-214). This compound can be prepared in 78% yield by fluorination of CCl3Nxe2x95x90CCl2 with excess of NaF in sulfolane at 105xc2x0 C. (E. Klauke, H. Holtschmidt, K. Findeisen, Farbenfabriken Bayer A.-G., DE-A1-21 01 107 (1971/72) or by photolysis of CF3Nxe2x80x94(CF2CFCl2)Cl (Yield: 65-70%) (G. Sarwar, R. L. Kirchmeier and J. M. Shreeve, Inorg. Chem. 28 (1989, p. 2187-2189). Perfluoro(2-azapropene) is a gas at room temperature (B.p. xe2x88x9233xc2x0 C.) and to make use of this compound a special equipment is required.
Very reactive di[bis(trifluoromethyl)imido]mercury, Hg[N(CF3)2]2, was synthesised at first by Young and co-workers (J. A. Young, S. N. Tsoukalas and R. D. Dresdner, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 80 (1958), p. 3604-3606). This compound is a good reagent for the introduction of N(CF3)2-groups into organic molecules (H. G. Ang and Y. C. Syn, Advances in Inorg. Chem. and Radiochemistry, Vol. 16 (1974), p. 1-64; A. Haas, Gmelin Handbook of Inorganic Chemistry, 8th edition, Springer Verlag: Berlin Heidelberg New York (1981), Part 9, p. 45-46) but it is a not very stable substance, which is extremely sensitive to the moisture. The synthesis of Hg[N(CF3)2]2 is a hard and time-consuming work which requires special equipment and expensive starting materials.
Caesium bis(trifluoromethyl)imid, Cs+-xe2x88x92N(CF3)2, is another possible candidate for the synthesis of bis(trifluoromethyl)amino compounds. This salt can be prepared simply by bubbling of perfluoro(2-azapropene) into a suspension of caesium fluoride in dry acetonitrile (A. F. Gontar, E. G. Bykovskaja and I. L. Knunyants, Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Otd. Khim, Nauk (1975), p. 2279-2282).
xe2x80x83CF3Nxe2x95x90CF2+CsFxe2x86x92Cs+ xe2x88x92N(CF3)2
Disadvantage of this method is the formation of a dimeric product by reaction of the starting material perfluoro(2-azapropene) with cesium salt already formed:
CF3Nxe2x95x90CF2+Cs+ xe2x88x92N(CF3)2xe2x86x92CF3xe2x80x94Nxe2x95x90CFxe2x80x94N(CF3)2
This reaction seems to be nearly unavoidable and leads to the formation of a complex mixture of products.
Accordingly, there is a need for a new process for the generation of N(CF3)2anions and their use for the introduction of N(CF3)-groups into organic molecules. Especially, there is a need for such a new process, which does not need special security equipment, which may be handled in simple manner and avoids the building of undesired by-products at the same time.
The problem is solved by a new process for the generation of N(CF3)2 anions, which is characterised in that a sulphonamide of the general formula
RFSO2N(CF3)2
wherein RF means F or CnF2n+1 and n is number between 1 and 4, is reacted with a metal fluoride of the general formula
MFx
wherein M is Na, K, Rb, Cs, Ag, Cu or Hg with the proviso that x is 1 or 2, if M means Na, K, Rb, Cs or Ag, and x=2 if M means Cu or Hg, forming an imino salt of the general formula
Mx+[xe2x88x92NCF3)2]x
and the corresponding sulphonylfluoride of the general formula
RFSO2F
or
that a sulphondiamide of the formula
(CF3)2N(SO2CF2)mSO2N(CF3)2,
wherein m means 0 or 1, is reacted with a metal fluoride as mentioned above forming an imino salt
Mx+[xe2x88x92N(CF3)2]x
and the corresponding sulphonylfluoride
F(SO2CF2)mSO2F
or
that a N,N-Bis(trifluoromethyl)perfluoroacylamide of the general formula
RFCON(CF3)2
is reacted with said metal fluoride forming said imino salt
and a salt of the general formula
RFCF2Oxe2x88x92M+.
The process according to the invention takes place in an organic solvent out of the group acetonitrile, ethylenglycoldimethylether and DMF or mixtures thereof. Preferably it is proceeded in acetonitrile, which is free of water. According to the invention, the reaction may be proceeded at a temperature between 15-100xc2x0 C. Usually, good results are received at room temperature.
Suitable metal fluorides are fluorides of Na, K, Rb, Cs, Ag, Cu or Hg, but rubidium fluoride is the most preferred.
Advantageously, sulfonylfluorides, which are built as by-products during the reaction, may be collected, transformed again into starting material and may be reused in the inventive process.
The imino salts of the general formula
Mx+[xe2x88x92N(CF3)2]x
wherein M and x have the meaning given above, may be used as a reagent for the substitution of halogen or other groups in organic molecules. Especially, [bis (trifluoromethyl)imido] rubidium,
Rb[N(CF3)2],
may be used as a reagent for the substitution of halogen or other groups in organic molecules by a N(CF3)2-group.
Recently there has been developed a method for the synthesis of new N,N-bis(trifluoromethyl)perfluoroalkanesulfon-amides and -diamides (N. Ignat""ev, S. Datsenko, L. Yagupolskii, A. Dimitrov, W. Radek and St. Rudiger, J. Fluorine Chemistry (1995), 74, p. 181-186; P. Sartori, N. Ignat""ev and S. Datsenko, J. Fluorine Chemistry (1995), 75, p. 157-161; P. Sartori, N. Ignat""ev and S. Datsenko, J. Fluorine Chemistry (1995), 75, p. 115-121).
These compounds can be prepared in a one-step procedure based on the use of simple starting materials, for example: 
It has been found that sulphonamides (1), (2) and (3) are stable colourless liquids, which are storable for a long time at room temperature (B.p. 30-31xc2x0 C.; B.p. 56-57xc2x0 C. and 85-86xc2x0 C., respectively). The handling of these compounds needs neither special precautions and nor a special equipment is required. Perfluorinated sulphonamides like (1), (2) and (3) are nonhygroscopic substances, even they are not mixable with water, but they are fairly good soluble in organic solvents, such as acetonitrile, ethylenglycoldimethylether, DMF and others, that provide handy conditions for the use of these compounds in organic syntheses.
Now we have found by experiments that perfluorinated sulphonamides (1), (2) and (3) are suitable to react with metal fluorides forming the corresponding sulfonylfluorides and imido salts (4) according to the following general reaction:
Reaction (II):
x RFSO2N(CF3)2+MFxxe2x86x92x RFSO2F+M+[xe2x88x92NCF3)2]xxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(4)
wherein
RF=F or CnF2n+1 
n=1-4
M=Na, K, Rb, Cs, Ag Cu, Hg and
x=1 or 2, with the proviso that x=1, if M has the meaning Na, K, Rb, Cs or Ag, and that x=2, if M has the meaning Cu or Hg.
In special, we have found that (CF3)2N(SO2CF2)mSO2N (CF3)2 may react with a metal fluoride, preferably with an alkali fluoride, according to the following general reaction:
Reaction (IIa):
(CF3)2N(SO2CF2)mSO2N(CF3)2+(3xe2x88x92x) MFxxe2x86x92F(SO2CF2)m SO2F+(3xe2x88x92x)M+[xe2x88x92N(CF3)2]xxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(4)
wherein
m=0-1.
Rubidium fluoride is the mostly convenient reagent for the complete transformation of sulphonamides type (1)-(3) into imido salt (4).
The reaction may be proceeded at a temperature between 15-100xc2x0 C., preferably at room temperature, in a suitable organic solvent, which is free of water. The solvent may be chosen out of the group acetonitrile, ethylenglycoldimethylether and DMF, but other polar solvents are also useful.
The most suitable solvent is dry acetonitrile, in which the reaction takes place within a few minutes and results in the formation of rubidium bis(trifluoromethyl)imid. This is a stable salt in solution at room temperature for a long time and may be used for the following synthesis without isolation.
We also have found that N,N-Bis(trifluoromethyl)perfluoroacylamides type (5) are further suitable starting materials for the generation of imido salts (4). These compounds (5) react with metal fluorides according to the following general equation: 
Compounds of type (5) can be prepared by the electrochemical fluorination of corresponding N,N-dimethylperfluoroacylamides as it is described in: J. A. Young, T. C. Simons and F. W. Hoffmann, J. Am. Chem. Soc. (1956), 78, p. 5637-5639.
Perfluorinated sulphonylfluorides that are formed as a by-product according to reaction (II) are either a gas at room temperature or very volatile liquids. At room temperature some amounts of sulfonylfluorides remain in the acetonitrile solution. This does not cause any problem for the introduction of N(CF3)2 groups into organic and inorganic molecules using imido salts (4).
Sulfonylfluorides resulting from the process (II) preferably are collected from the gaseous phase and may be used again for the following transformation into starting materials for the preparation of sulphonamides of type (1)-(3) by electrochemical fluorination in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride (Simons process). This reaction is for example according to the following equation:
Reaction (IV):
CF3SO2F+2 HN(CH3)2xe2x86x92CF3SO2N(CH3)2+(CH3)2NH2+Fxe2x88x92
In the combination with the following electrochemical fluorination (Reaction I) this method gives the possibility to transform N(CH3)2 groups into N(CF3)2 groups and imido salts (4). Therefore, Reaction IV is based on a cheap and commercially available material: dimethylamine.
In summary, the imido salt (4) is a convenient reagent for the introduction of N(CF3)2 groups into organic molecules. For example its alkali salts, preferably the rubidium salt, react at mild conditions with benzyl bromide or -chloride and ethyl bromoacetate to form substituted products bearing a N(CF3)2 group (see reaction (V). In general, these salts seem to be suitable reagents for the substitution of halogen or other groups in organic molecules:
Reaction (V):
C6H5CH2Br+Rb+ xe2x88x92N(CF3)2xe2x86x92C6H5CH2N(CF3)2+RbBr
Reaction (VI):
C6H5CH2Cl+Rb+ xe2x88x92N(CF3)2xe2x86x92C6H5CH2N(CF3)2+RbCl
Reaction (VII):
xe2x80x83BrCH2COOC2H5+Rb+ xe2x88x92N(CF3)2xe2x86x92(CF3)2NCH2COOC2H5+RbBr
These reactions are given to demonstrate the synthetic utilities of bis(trifluoromethyl)imido salts (4), which can be easily obtained from perfluorinated sulphonamides type (1)-(3) and acylamides type (5) and metal fluorides.